Why Project Based Learning (PBL)?

Why Project Based Learning (PBL)?  

As I have begun my work as a change agent for my district, I have committed to always starting with the why before moving to the how to the what.  This was brought home to me again this month as I observed a colleague who was brought in by a campus leader to "train" teachers on PBL.  As soon as the principal left and the door closed the tone of the room changed.  The teachers immediately began asking my colleague why yet another thing was being added to their already overflowing plates. 
 While there is much more I could say regarding this situation, I really want to focus on the reminder for me in starting with the question as to why.  In the book Switch, authors Chip and Dan Heath share the biggest obstacle for individuals in making a lasting change is located within ourselves.  They state that we have two "minds" the rational mind and the emotional mind and these two compete for control.  I believe starting with the why can often help to reach both the logical and emotional minds.  

Later in the month, I was asked to facilitate a discussion about PBL with teachers on another campus.  As I collaborated with the campus leadership team about their vision of PBL on their campus, it was apparent that in order for PBL to become something more than simply "one more thing" teachers were asked to do, we would need to build capacity as to why PBL might be a possible solution for a challenge we were facing.  I was reminded of Schelechty's writing in Learning for Leading, "Too often leaders try to sell a solution to a problem long before they have persuaded others that there is a problem for which the actions they are proposing is a solution."  

The leadership team and I collaborated to begin by having a dialogue with the staff.  We asked them to first watch this video before our meeting.  This was a recent 60 Minutes piece about the move to outsource and automate lower level jobs in our country.  

We began by discussing the 60 Minutes piece and the implications this would have for our children.  Then we watched this clip.  

While this was meant to be a tongue in cheek attempt to highlight some of the problems with education today.  We had great discussion and several teachers were able to share personal stories about family members being laid off and having difficulties finding a job.  We also discussed fears that several of them who were parents of high school and/or college students had about the ability of their students to find employment.  This was a great discussion.  

We then ended the conversation by saying that I would be coming back to collaborate with them to learn more about PBL.  The teachers began asking questions...the difference was that their questions were more informational seeking rather than concern over creating more work for them.  

I feel that my continued collaboration with this campus will be more positive and successful as we move forward because we started with the why.